Do you remember the letter you wrote to your school’s principal in EDU 226, recommending the use of instructional technology?
Reread the letter you wrote, consider the context, supporting evidence, and advantages you listed, then analyze it in light of the three contexts covered in this unit: the cultural context, the impact on equality and accessibility, and the evaluation of the results on student success. What, in your opinion, is lacking and has to be taken into account for the suggested tool(s) to be implemented successfully? What changes would you make to your original response?
Add responses to these questions in the comments section below.
Reflection on Cultural Context and Instructional Technology Adoption.
In my original letter to the Principal, I recommended Google Classroom as the primary platform for our school due to its accessibility and ease of use, which is especially beneficial for our low income community. Reflecting on this recommendation, I want to delve into some key aspects: cultural context, the impact on equality and accessibility, and the evaluation of outcomes in student success.
Cultural Context: I believe Google Classroom aligns well with our community’s needs by offering easy access to educational resources from any device, which helps lower technological barriers, especially for families with limited resources. However, I recognize that my approach could better address how the platform incorporates diverse cultural perspectives. For instance, we could integrate resources and activities that are culturally relevant and responsive, such as lessons highlighting Hispanic heritage or examples drawn from local cultural experiences. This would create a more inclusive environment where students can see their identities and experiences reflected in the learning materials, fostering a stronger connection to the content.
Impact on Equality and Accessibility: While I emphasized that Google Classroom is a free, user-friendly tool accessible on multiple devices, I realize it’s important to address specific accessibility features for students with learning disabilities or who are non-native English speakers. Integrated tools such as screen readers and DeepL Translator can enhance inclusivity by offering real-time support for various needs. Additionally, providing students with multiple options based on their individual requirements can further aid accessibility. Here are some recommendations:
These options are essential to ensure that all students, regardless of their needs, and learning styles can access content and participate actively.
Evaluation of Student Success: Evaluation of Student Success: While I noted that Google Classroom reduces stress and enhances interaction, I realize that specifying metrics to measure its impact on learning would strengthen my argument. By tracking participation and task completion, I can more effectively demonstrate how the platform contributes to student success. Additionally, implementing periodic evaluations with input from both students and teachers feedback sessions help refine the platform’s use based on real feedback.
To promote transparency and goal setting, I can add an evaluation rubric within Google Classroom, outlining clear criteria for each assignment. Students can review this rubric in advance to understand expectations. Additionally, I would establish weekly grade updates in Google Classroom, allowing students to monitor their progress regularly. This consistent feedback will enable them to set achievable goals and stay on track with their learning objectives.
Using these strategies, I can create a structured, supportive environment that helps students actively engage with their progress and take ownership of their outcomes. I suggest stating that as Google Classroom is tested over time, the school administration can assess its impact and adjust to maximize benefits for all students.
In my letter to the principal I highlighted the benefits of using Quizizz. I said that Quizizz is a flexible and effective tool that can be used in a variety of educational contexts to improve student learning and engagement thanks to these capabilities. Its user-friendly interface, comprehensive analytics, gamification elements, privacy and data protection protocols, and adaptability in learning modalities. However, to make a more comprehensive case for its adoption, I consider expanding on the cultural context, impact on equity and accessibility, and evaluation of student success:
Cultural Context
In my letter there’s no mention of how Quizizz accommodates diverse cultural perspectives or language options, which can be crucial in a multicultural classroom setting. I should have emphasized how Quizizz supports inclusivity, such as through language adaptability or customizable content that allows educators to integrate culturally relevant examples.
Impact on Equity and Accessibility
Although the letter mentions adaptability, it doesn’t address accessibility features for students with disabilities or varying learning needs, such as screen-reader compatibility, visual adjustments, or alternative input methods. I should have incorporated details for Quizizz’s accessibility features, including its potential for differentiated learning. Explain how its asynchronous options and flexible game design can support students with different learning paces or those who need assistive technology.
Evaluation of Results on Student Success
The letter briefly mentions analytics, but it would be helpful to specify how Quizizz’s data could provide targeted support for student improvement. I should also consider addressing how these insights can be used for continuous assessment and tailored interventions and elaborate on how Quizizz’s analytics could be used to measure student progress, identify areas of struggle, and provide teachers with actionable data to enhance instructional strategies. I could also suggest that these analytics contribute to long-term tracking of academic success.
After rereading and analyzing my letter of recommendation of the Quizizz gaming platform, I would add more details to address the fact that this platform meets the cultural norms of our school, impacts equality and accessibility, and evaluates the results on student success. For example, in regard to the cultural norm of our school, we are expected to provide our students with feedback in a timely manner. This platform provides students with a report of their performance immediately after they complete an assigned task. In regard to equality and accessibility, I would include these key words (equality and accessibility) in the letter to focus on the aspects on this platform that allows multi-lingual learners, learners with low reading levels, and students with disabilities to have an entry point into the learning activity. In regard to the evaluation of the results on student success, once again I would include these words (evaluation of the results on student success) in the letter to point the to resources that this gaming platform provides educators, as well as administrators, to analyze student reports as well as the supports this platform provides to address learning gaps.
In the letter that I wrote, I recommended Duolingo instead of Babbel in schools as a fun and accessible tool for students to practice language skills outside of the classroom, thanks to its gamified approach, personalized learning, and the ability for teachers to monitor progress, making it a great way to reinforce language learning with bite-sized lessons that can be easily integrated into study routines; highlight the “Duolingo for Schools” feature which allows teachers to assign specific lessons, track student progress, and create a more structured learning experience within the platform.
Based on my new learning, I will include it in my new letter.
Cultural context: Duolingo believes understanding cultural contexts is central to effective language acquisition. These podcasts help learners practice listening and comprehension while also learning about the language’s history and culture.
Accessibility: Duolingo is available on mobile devices and web browsers, allowing students to practice anytime, anywhere. Duolingo’s mission is to make language learning accessible to everyone, regardless of their background or resources.
Evaluation of the results on student success: I need to detail that research suggests that Duolingo can be a valuable tool for students seeking to improve their language skills, particularly for building vocabulary and basic grammar understanding, but it should be used in conjunction with other learning strategies for comprehensive language proficiency.
The letter I wrote to my principal was a recommendation letter for implementing Quizlet;
Cultural Context: I highlighted Quizlet’s benefits, but I could mention how it can reflect the diverse backgrounds of our students. Including culturally relevant materials and accommodating different learning styles would strengthen my argument.
Impact on Equality and Accessibility: I need to address potential barriers to access, as not all students may have reliable technology or internet. I should suggest solutions like providing devices for those in need and highlighting features that support students with disabilities.
Evaluation of Results on Student Success: While I mentioned Quizlet’s advantages, including specific research or evidence showing its effectiveness in improving student outcomes would make my case stronger. I could also suggest ways to measure its success in our curriculum.
Suggested Changes
1. Cultural Relevance: I should discuss how Quizlet can accommodate diverse cultures and learning styles.
2. Equity: I must propose solutions for access issues, like providing devices and supporting students with disabilities.
3. Evidence: I should include data or examples that show Quizlet’s impact on learning.
While my recommendation is strong, adding these points about cultural relevance, accessibility, and evidence of success will make it even more convincing.
In my letter to the principal from EDU 226, I recommended using Code.org as an instructional technology tool. I highlighted its benefits, such as making coding easier for students and enhancing their communication skills through engaging projects. Here is my analysis:
Cultural context: I mentioned how Code.org allows students to create projects that incorporate the Spanish language and its culture. I could suggest more specific ways students can connect their projects to cultural events or stories.
Impact on equality and accessibility: I mentioned how Code.org simplifies coding tasks, which helps all students participate, regardless of their experience level. I should also mention any features that support students with disabilities.
Evaluation of results on student success: I emphasized how using Code.org helps students learn to code and improve their communication skills. It would be helpful to include data or success stories showing how coding has positively impacted students in other schools.
In reviewing the letter I wrote to the principal in EDU 226, I have identified areas for improvement based on the three contexts we studied.
Cultural Context: I should have emphasized how the suggested technology can be adapted to meet the diverse cultural backgrounds of our students and promote inclusivity.
Impact on Equality and Accessibility: I need to provide more specific details on how the technology ensures accessibility for all students, especially those with disabilities. It would be beneficial to include information about teacher training and support for students to strengthen this point.
Evaluation of Results on Student Success: I need to propose methods for measuring success and include assessment strategies and benchmarks for evaluating the technology’s effectiveness.
To enhance my original response, I would incorporate these elements to emphasize adaptability, specific accessibility features, and evaluation methods to ensure successful implementation of the recommended tool(s). This would make my case stronger and more comprehensive.
In my letter, I explained to the principal my appreciation for iready. I remember saying that it was a good tool because it can be used in two areas; reading and math, and there was an assessment component which was beneficial to teacher use. After rereading, I can consider that culturally, there is nothing in place to cater to students of varied languages. although math can be seen as a universal language, it get complicated when instructions/tasks are involved and students cannot understand the language. Aside from the language barrier, the fact that its highly visual, has auditory instructions, and can easily be navigated, are all components that make this accessible to many other learners. I’m not sure if there could be a way to make the app accessible in many languages; that would be the only change I would make to the tool. As far as recommending the app to the principal, it is an app I still stand by.
For my original letter, I discussed Kahoot and Quizizz.com and ultimately recommended Quizizz.com to be added to the school’s digital tools library. Based on my comparison and exploration using the triple e framework I found that Quizizz was geared towards grade-level standards. I realize now taking this course that I did not take into account that a lot of the students I see are not at grade-level and using some of this grade-level material may not benefit them as much as I anticipated it could. I also did not take into account that it is possible that not everyone has devices readily available to engage in these online platforms. If I were to edit this email to administration I would consider the accessibility of the platform and the role parents play into the implementation of this recommended website.
Original Recommendation letter https://docs.google.com/document/d/17avi8Vc4sDIeKCe1SF6wqlTbvGdml0Wb4xLq2AT01kI/edit
Reflection
The letter acknowledges the diversity of learning styles in the classroom and emphasizes how Kami’s multi-modal approach can cater to these differences. However, it could further elaborate on how Kami can promote cultural responsiveness. For instance, the tool could facilitate discussions on culturally relevant texts or enable students to create projects that reflect their diverse backgrounds.
While the letter highlights Kami’s potential to enhance accessibility for students with diverse needs, it could provide more specific examples. It could mention how text-to-speech features assist students with reading difficulties, or how the drawing tools benefit those with fine motor challenges. This would better demonstrate Kami’s commitment to equitable access for all learners.
To strengthen the recommendation letter, I acknowledge that my initial draft lacked details on how Kami can be used to incorporate culturally relevant materials and activities, thus fostering a more inclusive learning environment. It also failed to provide specific examples of how Kami’s features support students with different disabilities, which is crucial for demonstrating a commitment to equitable access for all learners.
Additionally, I recognize the importance of including quantitative data from the pilot study to substantiate the claims of improved student engagement and learning. This data should encompass various measures, such as time spent on tasks, participation in discussions, completion rates, performance on assessments, grades, and self-reported confidence levels. By incorporating these concrete metrics, the recommendation letter would be more persuasive and evidence-based
Revised Letter:
Dear Principal Ms. Forbes,
I am writing to enthusiastically recommend the adoption of Kami as an educational tool within our school. As a [teacher/parent/community member], I have witnessed firsthand Kami’s transformative potential in fostering inclusive, engaging, and effective learning experiences.
Kami’s versatile features offer significant benefits for our diverse student population. Key among these are:
In a recent pilot study with my classes, I observed a significant improvement in student engagement with reading materials. The ability to highlight, annotate, and ask questions directly on the text led to richer class discussions and deeper analysis. Furthermore, students who typically struggled with traditional writing assignments thrived using Kami’s diverse annotation tools, expressing their thoughts more confidently and contributing more meaningfully to class activities.
Quantitative data collected during the pilot also supports the positive impact of Kami. Students’ average time spent on tasks increased by 15%, while the completion rate for reading assignments rose by 10%. Furthermore, a post-pilot survey revealed a 20% increase in student-reported engagement and a 15% increase in self-reported confidence in their understanding of the material.
I am confident that integrating Kami into our educational practice would create a more inclusive, engaging, and effective learning environment for all our students. Thank you for considering my recommendation.
Sincerely,
Charlene Jimoh
Going back to that email to my principal, I found many mistakes. By mistakes I mean, lack of connections to my students, uncertainty about privacy using the digital app, and not a clear analysis of the digital app. In other words, If I was a principal, I would not buy into it.
Now that we are exploring cultural context, equity and accessibility, and evaluation of student success; I think I can point out a clearer view of why this digital tool will be strong for my school, teachers, and students.
In my original email, I don’t make any reference to cultural context. I explained that it would be a good fit for our school because it’s highly engaging, and supports different pacing, working attitudes, and quick references to UDL. I believe I was not very thorough with how accessible it is and did not use the right words to describe the evaluation of student success. A few sentences I would add to sell the idea to my principal would be:
These would be some of the recommendations I would add to my original email.
Going back to that email to my principal, I found many mistakes. By mistakes I mean, lack of connections to my students, uncertainty about privacy using the digital app, and not a clear analysis of the digital app. In other words, If I was a principal, I would not buy into it.
Now that we are exploring cultural context, equity and accessibility, and evaluation of student success; I think I can point out a clearer view of why this digital tool will be strong for my school, teachers, and students.
In my original email, I don’t make any reference to cultural context.
In my initial email to my principal recommending the use of instructional technology, the tool I recommended was Kahoot! The reasons that I recommended Kahoot was because it stood out in terms of engagement and privacy and I thought that it would be a great tool for our school to use.
My reasoning included that it would be a great addition to our school, and a wonderful resource for teachers to gamify education, helping to beneficially impact our students. Kahoot! (https://kahoot.com/) is a game-based learning platform that makes assessments engaging. The format of the game makes it seem like you are participating in a game show. There are a lot of question options for the assessments, including multiple choice, drop pin, select the correct answer(s), etc. Kahoot! is interactive and encourages collaboration, and even friendly competition, in the classroom.
My rationale for recommending Kahoot included the following:
After learning about cultural context, the impact on equality and accessibility, and the evaluation of the results on student success, I realized that I have some additions that I would like to add to my initial letter. I would like to add the following information to my original response.
In terms of cultural context, Kahoot! is a tool that is already used by many staff members in the school, and it would be easy to have buy-in from more teachers. It is very user-friendly, so it will not take a long time to train staff to use it. Many students are already familiar with multiple-choice questions, so this tool is a great way to use a format that they know while gamifying education.
In terms of the impact on equality and accessibility, Kahoot can help students who need language support in real-time, and the tool is very helpful for multilingual learners.
In terms of the evaluation of the results on student success, Kahoot! has shown to be a great tool for motivating students, as it encourages collaboration and friendly competition. Students tend to do better on assessments when they have multiple opportunities to engage in and recall content, and Kahoot helps with student success.
Something that I do think is lacking is that a Kahoot game is not differentiated (apart from language support), but this can be remedied by making different Kahoot games for groups of students, or alternatively students can play in groups and work collaboratively to answer questions.
In my original email I intended to convince my principal to consider ABCmouse Early Learning Academy. My original email was strong and well structured and highlighted all the advantages of the platform. However, knowing everything I know now, I believe I could’ve added a few more elements to make my claim more successful. The cultural context that could’ve been included is to ensure that ABCmouse’s content is culturally sensitive and inclusive. I also could’ve checked if the platform offers diverse representations and perspectives that resonate with the student body at P226@185. This is crucial to avoid cultural bias and to promote engagement across all cultural backgrounds. I could have also made sure that there was more accessibility and equality.While ABCmouse offers personalized learning experiences, the accessibility of technology for all students should be considered more. Not all families may have access to devices or internet connectivity at home. I could have discussed the plans for equitable access to ensure that all students can benefit equally from the platform, possibly through school-provided devices or extended access hours at school. Lastly, I could have provided a brief description of how I propose to evaluate the impact of ABCmouse on student learning. Below is a revision of my email and how I could have included these elements for a more in depth proposal.
Dear Principal Jardi,
I hope this email finds you well. As a parent/educator and community member very invested in the educational development of our students, I am writing to recommend the adoption of ABCmouse Early Learning Academy for use within P226@185.
ABCmouse Early Learning Academy is a creative educational platform designed to engage young learners through comprehensive and interactive experiences. It offers a variety of interactive activities, games, and lessons across many subjects such as math, science, reading, and art. The platform’s engaging songs, puzzles, and animations make learning enjoyable for students of all ages. Additionally,ABCmouse aligns its curriculum with state and national standards, providing teachers with an important supplement to improve classroom instruction. Its adaptive features allow students to learn at their own pace, encouraging confidence and personalized learning experiences.
ABCmouse also promotes parent engagement by providing progress reports and suggesting activities for home involvement, which strengthens the school-home partnership.To ensure successful implementation and inclusivity, it is important to consider the cultural relevance of ABCmouse’s content and its accessibility to all students. We should verify that the platform offers diverse representations and perspectives that resonate with our student body, and develop strategies to provide equitable access to technology for families who may not have it at home.
Furthermore, I propose implementing a strong evaluation plan to measure the impact of ABCmouse on student success. This could include pre and post-assessments, teacher feedback, and data on student engagement and progress. Such evaluation will allow us to assess the effectiveness of the platform and make data-driven decisions regarding its continued use.
Thank you for considering my recommendation. I am enthusiastic about the potential of ABCmouse to enhance the educational experience at P226@185 and would be glad to provide further information or support to facilitate its implementation. Please feel free to contact me at (646)683-2396 or via email at [email protected] if you have any questions or require additional details.
In my letter to the administration, I explain that I would love for them to use Google Classroom as their main source of technology. Google Classroom is a free blended digital learning tool that can benefit students of all ages and parents too. But I didn’t consider the cultural context this would have. I might have to do more research and revise my letter. I would also provide them with more details on why It would benefit their students. I will need to do my research on the success google classroom has world wide.
In my letter, I stated that it would be beneficial for our school to use the “Actively Learn” online reading curriculum platform as it supports the various needs of the school’s diverse student population, allows teacher flexibility in differentiating instruction, prepares students to think critically and pose questions, and engages the whole learner by giving access to a variety of texts across different subject and grade levels.
I was so excited about testing out this tool that I reached out to one of their representatives, and we had our meeting before the school year ended. Since Actively Learn is a part of the Achieve3000 program, we were able to get a demo of both programs. As of right now, it is up to the administration to make their final decision, but I personally thought that the program would be effective and reasonable for our school. While there might still be a lack of culturally diverse texts, we are working toward it as a community I think. As far as accessibility, I think our school is very lucky to have access to technology since we do have laptop carts in every classroom.
The cultural context in the letter should be added to how we can have parents and students take a survey. The impact of equality is where I can add to the principal that we will be using the students’ strengths and weaknesses to determine what they work on. Last, for the accessibility to make sure everyone has a working device.
Reread the letter you wrote, consider the context, supporting evidence, and advantages you listed, then analyze it in light of the three contexts covered in this unit: the cultural context, the impact on equality and accessibility, and the evaluation of the results on student success. What, in your opinion, is lacking and has to be taken into account for the suggested tool(s) to be implemented successfully? What changes would you make to your original response
In terms of Cultural Context, I didn’t mention how the current technological tools are being utilized in the school to emphasize or convey my message of it being an enhancement to our current arsenal. Showcasing how Khan Academy can complement or enhance these tools is important for my proposal. I didn’t reference the current level of readiness or familiarity for both teachers and students with digital tools. Addressing potential resistance to learning a new tool and the need for training could ensure proper execution. I noticed an opportunity to consider the role of parents in the adoption of Khan Academy. Their support is crucial to be successful.
As for the impact on equality and accessibility, I mention Khan Academy is free yet give no other information as to the accessibility of necessary devices and stable internet connections for all students. I didn’t provide specific examples of how Khan Academy supports diverse learners.
For the evaluation of the results on student success, I mention tracking progress and identifying learning gaps, but I didn’t provide details on how the success of Khan Academy integration would be measured. I would revise the letter and include measurable goals, details on training for a smooth transition, address support for diverse learners, and also involve families and the school community.
In my opinion, my original email was lacking an analysis on the cultural context, the impact on equality and accessibility, and the evaluation of the results on student success which makes sense because up until that point our course hadn’t focused on it. My recommendation was that the school should buy a subscription to Newsela instead of one to Scholastic. A change I would make to my original response is ways for how to “upskill students, parents, families, and caregivers,” like from the resource Delivering on the Promise of Digital Equity
As I reread the letter that I wrote to my Principal, I’m reminded that based on what I’ve read about organizational culture, equity and access and evaluating tools that can benefit our learners, I discovered that I was lacking the depth of identifying the importance of having/creating organizational culture in the learning institution. I say this because the research states that when there is organizational culture, there is growth, collaboration and the decreasing of the achievement gap for the underrepresented. Keeping that in mind, I would explain in detail the importance that having organizational culture can benefit our entire school community in multiple facets (from the cafeteria staff to the school crossing guard).
Reflecting upon my email to my administration, I recommended the digital tool, NearPod to enhance teaching and learning practices providing student engagement, collaboration, and critical thinking skills that will prepare students for career readiness skills. I believe that my email provided a comprehensive overview of the benefits of Nearpod. In my advocacy for Nearpod, I listed a detailed overview describing functionality, student engagement, collaboration, differentiation and real-time assessment. I included personal experience with the program to add to my credibility and I made sure to emphasize that it can align with educational goals. Nearpod makes it convenient for both in-classroom and home learning environments with its accessibility features. Furthermore, I communicated how Nearpod can transform learning from passive to active engagement through interactive slides, quizzes, polls, and collaborative boards. Lessons can be personalized and differentiated to cater to diverse student needs. Nearpod’s features allow teachers to monitor lessons in real-time and assess student understanding. This emphasis on immediate feedback and adaptability is essential for effective teaching. In addition, I highlighted the importance of the users and their privacy considerations over their data.
However, to ensure successful implementation and address the three contexts mentioned (cultural context, impact on equality and accessibility, and evaluation of results on student success), I could have included the following points:
The purpose of this letter is to introduce to you, Instructional Design. It is a crucial component to learning in our classrooms, a transformative experience. Instructional technology helps to identify achievement gaps and brings attention to areas where students require more support. earning style that should be a part of our students’ educational experience. Instructional technology offers all students the option to engage in multiple opportunities for action and expression.
The culture of an organization determines the best approaches and how best to align instructional technology to your norms. The culture of an organization is critical to successful implementation of instructional technology. Keep in mind, “in just ten (10) years learners will be doing technology jobs that haven’t even been invented yet.”
Integrating Instruction technology allows all students regardless of their disability an opportunity to be active and engaged learners. While digital tools are designed to enhance learning experiences and provide the option to choose how you will acquire the knowledge.
Kahoot is a Digital Learning Tools that integrates into the curriculum. It offers enjoyable learning through competitive game play. Kids love to Kahoot for quizzes and to play games. Students often choose creative names when they sign in, which makes them soft of anonymous. This works for both fast and not so fast learners, because you could stay anonymous if they are not so sure of the answer. Kahoot is an assistive Digital Tool designed to be inclusive and accessible. It provides multiple options for action and expression, though written text, audio, or video. Kahoot is safe, easy to find and has a privacy policy that protects student information.
Implementing instructional technology will incorporate components of digital technology and fluency into lessons across curriculum. Instructional technology and the use of digital tools like Kahoot will enhance the culture in learners, providing a growth of mindset, it is the educational connector. Equity which is a complex issue gives equal voice and access to all learners. Effectiveness must be monitored to insure that instruction is doing what it is intended to do and reaching its goals. The information can be used to address specific need of individual students and groups of students, as well as to justify allocation of resources and funding for technology programs.
Most learners have access to one of these digital tools in order to be fully engaged. Kahoot provides equity and accessibility. One major point when considering equity is the issue of internet access and Wifi connection. These constraints could pose an accessibility issue as well.
In any event, Instructional technology is the how and what that instructors need to solve students learning needs, and digital tools help you achieve that goal.
The letter that I wrote to my school’s principal is,
To whom it may concern,
Both Kahoot and Pear deck enhances the students learning and
make good learning experiences that engages students. Kahoot help
students reach their learning goals through games. Pear deck help
students reach their learning goals through slides and
presentations. According to the website, privacy..common sense.org
Pear deck protects students privacy more than Kahoot. Based on my
research and analysis of pedagogical value and privacy of both
digital tools, I recommend using Pear deck because it better
protects students privacy.
Based on what I just learned in edu 227 I would make alot of changes in this letter. In the letter I focused on the tool’s privacy and data protection features only. I didn’t considered the tools cultural context and the impact on equality and accessibility. I need to search more about these things and add it.
Reflecting upon the letter I wrote I saw a few things that were lacking from it ans ither components I did target. I recommended my principal to encourage the use of Kahoot because it was a pretty easy to use site and very engaging for students along with being pretty secure. I did think about equality since I like that students who did not enjoy traditional quizzes or display of information can participate. Although I did not address culture I believe this site let’s us teachers create the questions and these can be done in any language to be inclusive of our multilingual learners and content that is relevant to them.
However, I did not consider the cultural impact the site has or equity components. I know that some students may not like these games because it places a lot of pressure or perhaps are not quick since they may not be gamers and this causes issues with equity. Furthermore, some cultures may even consider computer games as just as games and not educational making some students less exposed to this format.
I would add these components I did not include in my letter and also see which site might alleviate the pressure and timing to create greater success for all students.
After rereading my letter, I think that I missed a few important aspects. I wanted the digital notebook to be incorporated into a self contained classroom to better support learners as well as teachers with progress monitoring given certain obstacles with written assignments.
Dear Admin,
Please consider an amendment to my previous submission regarding the implementation of digital notebooks in Self Contained Classrooms.Designing the digital notebook with accessibility features is crucial to accommodate diverse learning needs. Incorporating tools for students with visual, hearing, or motor impairments is essential to ensure inclusivity and equal opportunities for all learners.The digital notebook should offer flexibility to cater to different learning styles and preferences. Some students may prefer text-based notes, while others may benefit from audio or visual formats. Providing options for varied learning approaches is essential for successful implementation.Continuously evaluating the effectiveness of the digital notebook through student feedback, teacher observations, and learning outcomes is critical. Regular assessment allows for adjustments and improvements based on the needs and experiences of the users.
Dear Admin,
I would like to recommend ReadWorks as a tool for us to adapt within our school. Readworks provides accessibility to all and is very compatible with our students accounts. It can be linked to their Google Classroom accounts, which makes it easy for teachers to assign work to students that can be completed during outside hours (homework). ReadWorks offers a variety of ways in providing support such as a read aloud feature, which would support ELLs, frontloading, and review of vocabulary before and after the article, multiple choice questions as well as extended responses that can be reviewed and graded by the teacher. I think it is a great tool to support students, both struggling and exceeding grade level standards. Another aspect of ReadWorks is that it provides students with access to a variety of different topics to gather information from across a variety of cultures. Did you know that you can search for a general unit on a topic and it can link numerous articles to that topic? One thing we must consider is the safety of our students. It should be encouraged that students use their school-assigned login rather than a personal email. This would be one step into maintaining the privacy of our students as much as possible. According to common sense media and their research in the privacy policy of ReadWorks, it does a good job at protecting students personal information, but they do collect data for their own improvements. Thank you for reading my letter to consider taking on ReadWorks as a tool within our school community.
In EDU 226, my letter to my administrator advocated the use of the ScratchJr app to teach computational thinking and basic coding skills to our K-2 students. After rereading my letter there are many revisions I would make. Here are my revisions, using ScratchJr will allow students to be able to tell their own stories, reflecting on who they are and their own cultural diversity. This will allow students to be creative and enhance their cognitive abilities while learning the beginning of programming language while being able to tell their own story. ScratchJr can be used on all devices except phones, projects are shareable and the app is free. There is also a download that families can use that allows students the use of the app with no internet at all. Students can access this with no cost to their families. Students in grades K-2 will acquire basic programming skills, enhancing their computational thinking and build their confidence. ScratchJr can be used in all academic subject areas.
In class EDU 226, my letter to administrators recommended the purchase of Blooket. Based on my analysis, Blooket motivates students to start the learning process and move from passive to active social learners because it “gameifies” learning and makes the process fun for students. I included ways that teachers can seamlessly integrate computational thinking into their lessons while using Blooket. Overall, my suggested tool would fit within the cultural context of my school. Equality and accessibility would not be issues because all students at my school have access to technology and assistive technology, as needed.
One revision that I would make to my original request pertains to the evaluation of the results on student success. When originally discussing privacy and safety, I mentioned that for many class activities, students are able to simply enter a code to join the game instead of logging in through an account. When they do so, Blooket only collects a nickname, which is anonymous. However, in order for teachers to access the detailed score reports and question analysis generated by Blooket, students would need to be logged into their individual accounts. I still highly recommend this tool because while Blooket does collect personal information from users to conduct product research and development, they do not sell or rent personal information to third parties for any purpose, serve targeted ads, or allow student profiles to be shared. Students’ personal information is encrypted both during transmission and at rest.
In class EDU 226, my letter to administrators I was advocating for the purchase of Kahoot. Kahoot is an engaging and learning platform. It can be used through Clever within the classroom and when the children are at home. Honestly, I do not think I would change anything in my letter to administrators because it is straightforward and informs them of all the possibilities for students’ learning using Kahoot.
Kahoot ensures inclusive and equitable quality education and promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all. Kahoot is committed to improving learning experiences and makes education accessible all around the world. Kahoot is currently offered in 15 different languages and in over 200 countries.
In EDU 226, my letter advocated for Kahoot. Kahoot topics are endless and can be created on demand. It’s platform that can act as an assessment, study guide and quiz all in one. It does not require any personal information from students which acts as a great safety net. Kahoot is very engaging for students as they see it as a game but for educators it’s an instructional tool. It is very easy to access , students can use their name or a nickname if they prefer. t can be modified in the amount of seconds they have to answer or it can be self paced where students can take the kahoot on their own to eliminate competition.
What I would add to my letter would be various assessments that I have created and providing testing scores to show how effective using kahoot is in the classroom. I would also provide my google classroom as it is linked under quiz review so my principle can see that it is always accessible to students in preparation of an exam.
In EDU 226, my letter introduced the “Activity Learn” platform in order to support students with their reading comprehension by being active readers. With this tool students would be able to annotate, highlight, comment on peers annotations, and work collaboratively while engaging with a text. I particular highlighted the scaffolded embedded in the platform which included vocabulary list, guided questions/prompts, preset annotations for students.
As I reflect, I did not mention anything in regards to whether or not the tool reads the text aloud which ties into its accessibility/UDL. I would have explored if there is a tutorial to help students use the platform to its full potential. As well as available training sessions for facilitators of the platform.
As highlight, discuss, and annotate
In EDU 226, my letter to the principal advocated for the use of Blooket within the building. It can easily be accessed by all devices, not require an account or to share personal information, and ensures privacy is maintained. Blooket can be used with any age group within an educational setting.
I would not change much about my letter. I still feel that the program is an asset in the classroom. It is engaging, can be used with a wide age range, and has opportunities for solo and group competitions that promote learning and are engaging. It is also great to use as a formative and summative assessment tool. This tool is equitable and accessible since it is free and can be utilized on any device. It can be used at home or in school or on the DOE iPads since it is web based and not an app.
The tool is really excellent as is and I cannot think of anything I would change about it. My students in grades 3-8 love using it to review concepts, vocabulary, and for a brain break.
Jennifer I also felt that I wouldn’t change anything about my letter because it showed the effectiveness of the tool. I added an extension to my response to show how I have implemented the tool and the results from student data .
In my letter to my principal I advocated for purchasing TypingClub.com for my 3rd grade learners. Part of my argument is that typing is a life skill that is critical in today’s world. The program scored well on the Triple E Framework and integrates many of the Computational thinking skills students need. I am not sure I would change much to my letter as the program meets the needs of our student body. It is research based and engaging. It uses gamification which is culturally relevant. The use of this program will actually be a bridge to more equity and accessibility as students who struggle to write or don’t process ideas well with paper and pencil we become more proficient in typing allowing them to work more efficiently and express themselves. Student success will be easily be evaluated as the program collects data and you can make observational data of their work in class using keyboards.
TypingClub.com is an essential tool in education today as we have took a turn to digital learning more than ever. many students can benefit from this tool and other tools that are similar. It’s beneficial to all learners, especially those who struggle . My school using typing.com and the students love it because it teaches them how to spell and type correctly unlike me typing with two fingers! .
Thanks for the suggestion of TypingClub.com. I will look into for my second graders as they cannot type on the keyboard and it takes forever for some students to even sign into their accounts.
In my opinion, after rereading the letter I wrote to my school principal in EDU 226, recommending the use of the instructional Digital Educational technology known as Brainpop.com,I would include a comment related to CRE compliance. I wrote “I highly recommend this ed tech digital tools to all my colleagues to use as part of their best teaching practices. It meets the needs of all the different types of learners, from visual learners with the use of animated images, to the auditory learners, and allow students with disabilities to not only watch the video but read the captions in their own language, on-demand and at their own pace.” I would add that Brainpop.com allows instructors in our school to promote Culturally Responsive Education, because it promotes and celebrates helping connect curriculum and teaching to students’ experiences, perspectives, histories & cultures.
In my original letter recommending Actively Learn, I wrote: “There are tons of ways to customize what appears on screen to make it more accessible to readers with a range of needs. While it’s not as expansive in its support as readers focused on accessibility, it offers enough options for most classrooms”. I would now add that Actively Learn could improve its support for multimedia content, such as videos and audio recordings, to make it easier for teachers to incorporate these types of content into their lessons. This will support the interests of individual students and comprehension of the learning goals of the lesson. Additionally, it can provide students with multiple modes of representation and can help to support different learning styles and abilities.
After rereading the letter, I wrote to my principal about using a new website, ActivelyLearn.com, in my opinion, there are some things that I might want to take into consideration for it to be implemented successfully. When thinking of the cultural context, I believe that the school is on the right track to be able to successfully use the website. However, when evaluating the accessibility and equality aspects, I would try to make a change to my letter. I would mention/include that using this tool would increase the likelihood of meeting the needs of our underrepresented populations. It would help bridge the gap with students that struggle to process information and understand their reading content. I would also add to my letter that we would need to include periodic evaluations of the tool to see how well students’ reading levels improved in a certain period. This way, we would be able to appropriately know if we should continue or try another resource. These are just some of the thoughts I had after analyzing my letter.
My original letter was to encourage my principal to implement Scratch in the school. I think this is a wonderful program but a tough sell considering cultural context. It is a program that many teachers feel uncomfortable using because they do not understand how to create with the blocks. So they are hesitant since they won’t be able to help the students. In order for teachers to get on board there would need to be training that is hands on. Teachers would need to be given the time to code and create algorithms so they are more comfortable implementing it in their classroom. Personally, I felt more comfortable when I was given the time to tinker with it myself. As I tinkered, I saw the many possible ways of integrating it into my different subjects.
In regards to equality, Scratch is a web based program. So students would need to have internet access in order to use Scratch. However, there is a downloadable version. But it is imperative that students have some device in order to use this program. In some areas, not all students have access to their own digital tools. Some schools may not be able to provide devices equitably.
In addition, Scratch is very accessible, the blocks can be translated into many different languages. There is a text to speech option too. Tutorials are built inside and there are thousands of videos on Youtube for the students and teachers to explore.
Therefore, I would still recommend Scratch. However, I would now add that my principal needs to make sure our students have access to laptops. Also, she would need to incorporate professional development. This way teachers would be provided the time to use the digital tool. They will make mistakes but soon they will learn to debug. As a result, they will become more confident and want to integrate this wonderful digital tool in their classrooms.
In my initial letter, I recommended the website Classkick. After reviewing the letter and spending more time using the website I would say that the website is lacking efficiency. By that I mean it can be a challenge for teachers to keep up with a larger number of students turning in assignments. I would change my letter and make the recommendation that this only be used for smaller groups. With too many students, the website can get out of hand.
Additionally in my initial letter, I would mention as a benefit of the website that teachers can provide personalized feedback in real-time. As well as highlight that differentiation can be added to the website for specific students. For example, some students may have the audio option to hear the text read to them or an image described to them